The county, which encompasses Snowdonia as well as the rugged Llyn Peninsula, was voted as best for happiness levels in Wales according to the UK Government's well-being survey for 2017/18.

Residents there are also the most satisfied with life.

The county scored 7.8 out of 10 when residents were asked to rate their happiness in the survey, Wales Online reports.

Residents there were also ranked the most satisfied with life, scoring 7.9 out of 10 and Gwynedd was described as being the most positive place with a score of 8.1 out of 10

Views to die for over Llyn Dinas

Across Wales, people scored their happiness as 7.5 out of 10 which was similar to the UK as a whole.

The other places in Wales with the happiest people included Carmarthenshire and Vale of Glamorgan, scoring 7.7 out of 10, and Anglesey , Conwy , Denbighshire , Flintshire , and Monmouthshire scoring 7.6 out of 10.

Why Gwynedd is the happiest place to live:

The warmest place in Wales and the UK

During the summer heatwave, one town in Gwynedd recorded the highest temperatures not only in Wales but the rest of the UK.

(Image: Daily Post Wales)

The Met Office said the mercury in Porthmadog reached 32.6 degrees celcius in June making it the hottest place in Britain and regularly Wales' warmest spot .

Despite being a coastal town, where temperatures are typically lower, Porthmadog's geography is the reason for the consistently high temperatures.

Beautiful beaches

Being a coastal county, Gwynedd is spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches with some of the most stunning views in the country.

Aberdaron beach is a wide, sandy beach on the tip of the Llyn Peninsula with two dramatic headlands, while Aberdyfi provides a picturesque spot

Shell Island, in Llanbedr, is a great attraction for families with plenty of shells and a causeway to explore while Pwllheli South Beach is backed by a promenade with a curved sandy beach stretching over three kilometres.

Porth Oer/Whistling Sands also a great place to surf

One of the most popular beaches in the country is Llanbedrog , on the Llyn Peninsula below Mynydd Tir y Cwmwd, which also hosts the Glass Butter Beach Festival.

Attractions

Gwynedd has some of Wales' most popular attractions with thousands of tourists flocking to the county every year.

Zip World has two sites in Gwynedd including Blaenau Ffestiniog and Bethesda, with an adrenalin attraction portfolio that includes zip wires, giant underground trampolines and an alpine coaster.

The latest attraction to be launched by company are electric foil "flying" surfboards at its site in Penrhyn Quarry, which will be able to reach speeds of 25mph without the need for waves, wind or towing.

Customers zoom along the cables at Zip World Velocity in Penrhyn Quarry in Bethesda. (Image: David Powell)

Caernarfon Castle , opened by Kind Edward I in 1283, is one of the most historic castles in Wales and as World Heritage Site, plays host to thousands of visitors a year.

You can also visit the home of Ellis Humphrey Evans, better known a Hedd Wyn, at Yr Ysgwrn near Trawsfynydd, to view the iconic Black Chair won at the 1917 National Eisteddfod at Birkenhead.

The highest peak in Wales

Standing at 1,085 metres above sea level and the highest point in Wales, Snowdon and the surrounding Snowdonia National Park is Gwynedd's crowning jewel.

Serving as a place of great natural beauty, Snowdon provides a great source of happiness to locals and tourists alike, with more than 582,000 people visiting annually.

Moel Eilio and the ridge from the summit of Snowdon

It has a number of ascents to reach the summit to suit all abilities of walkers and climbers but there's also the Snowdon Mountain Railway which allows you to enjoy the breathtaking views at a more leisurely pace.

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There are also a number of lakes which make up Snowdonia National Park including Llyn Llydaw, Glaslyn and Llyn Ffynnon-y-gwas.

Economic growth and social equality

Gwynedd scored high when it came to measures including prosperity, opportunity, health, sustainability and community.

The Grant Thornton Vibrant Economy Index, carried out by the professional advisory firm, ranked Gwnedd fifth in Wales when it came to community, trust and belonging and second when it came to health, wellbeing and happiness.

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